Air circulation system for refrigerating apparatus



Feb. 18, 1947, P. E. CARY ET AL 2,416,153

AIR CIRCULATION,SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATING APPAR ATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 29', 1943 .2 A 6 W h k h a .2 I 3 jww myw. MUU oooomooUnUUU i mUnUnuynuwUwo ooom flfln l w w Feb. 13, 19 47. P, E CARY ETAL 2,416,153

AIR CIRCULATION SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29, 1943 2 Sheerbs-Sheet 2 Patented Feb, 1 8, 1947 UNlT-ED .STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CIRCULATION SYSTEM FOR REFRIG- ERATING APPARATUS Philip E. Cary, Perryville, Md., and Lloyd F. Overholt, Riverside, Carl J. Johnson, Chicago, and William F. Borgerd, Riverside, 111., assignors to International Harvester Company, a corporation of-New Jersey Application November 29, 1943, Serial No. 512,108

v 3 Claims. (01. 62-l15) I This invention relates to an air-circulation system. More particularly, it relates to a circulation system for cooling air for a gas-engine-driven refrigeratingunit. In the conventional refrigerating unit employing a compressor, a condenser, 5 and an expansion coil, it is necessary to have an air-circulating means for cooling the condenser. When the unit is driven by an air-cooled engine, it is also necessary to provide air-circulating means for cooling the cylinder of the engine.

This invention relates to an air-circulating system for providing air'fiowcver the condenser and around the cylinder of the engine.

The principal object of the invention i to provide a simplified and compact air-circulating '15 means for cooling an engine cylinder and a condenser.

A more particular object is to provide a fan structure including as a unitary device a radial discharging fan and a secondary fan for dis- 2o charging air in an axial direction.

Another object is to provide means for delivering air into a centrifugal type fan to improve its efficiency.

The above objects and others which will be apparent from the detailed description to follow are accomplished by a structure such as shown in the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic elevation of an engine-driven compressor with the circulation fan system broken away in section; and

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1 with the condenser broken away to shOW the fan structure.

In the drawings, only such elements and structure of a gasoline-engine-driven compressor are shown as are necessary to illustrate the air-cir'- culation system of the invention. An air-cooled I engine is illustrated having acylinder I!) with cooling fins II, a crank case I2, and an oil pan I l. The crank-shaft is shown as projecting at one end IS on which a double V-pulley I6 is secured. The other end I! of the crank-shaft projects at the other side of the engine and provides means for mounting and driving the fan structure, as will be hereinafter described.

A compressor I8 is mounted adjacent the engine, a portion of the mounting structure l9 being shown in Figure 1. Said compressor has a finned cylinder 20, a cover plate 2| at one end, and a projection 22 of the crank-shaft at the other end on which a double V-pulley 2 3 is mounted in alinement with the pulley IS. A pair of V-belts 24 engages the two pulleys for driving the com pressor from the engine.

An outlet conduit 25 from the compressor is shown connecting the compressor with a condensing coil .28 in a condenser structure 21. structure is positioned at right angles to the crank-shaft of the engine with the crank-shaft axis of the engine being located substantially centrally of the condenser structure. Only the relative positions of the significant elements necessary to illustrate the invention have been shown as they may be mounted on any suitable frame structure.

The fan structure comprises, in effect, three different sets of fan elements, each operating to provide an independent flow of air for a particular purpose. A blower type of fan mounted directly on the crank-shaft extension |'I consists of a hub 28, a disheddisk-like portion 29 extending outwardly from the hub portion adjacent the engine, a plurality of blades 30 arranged around the periphery of the disk-like portion,

and a ring 3| joining the ends of the blades 30. g

This structure comprises a blower of a conventional construction excepting that the ring 3| is often omitted as it' provides no function in the conventional blower. In this type of fan or blower, air comes in in an axial direction and is discharged -radially entirely around the periphery of the rotating structure.

A plurality of brackets 32 are secured to the ring 3| of the main blower construction and ex- .tend radially outwardly to provide attachingmeans for fan blades 33. Said blades'are arranged at an angle to give the required pitch forstruction, this action would tend to starve. the

main blower or fan which delivers air to the engine cylinder. To overcome this action and to provide for both drawing air through the center of the condenser structure and for supercharging to some extent the engine cooling fan, a plurality of additional blades 34'are secured to the ring 3| extending radially inwardly therefrom. Said blades are pitched in the same direction as the blades 32 and act to draw air through the Said condenser structure and deliver it to the blades 30 o A collector housing 35 is mounted around the blades 30 to receive the air therefrom and dea liver it through a vertically extending housing -36 to a shroud 31 surrounding the cylinder and the portion of. the engine to be cooled.

At the bottom of the condenser structure in Figure 1, a header 38 is shown provided with an outlet 39. This outlet conduit would normally lead to an evaporator which would complete the refrigeration unit.

,The operation of the air-circulation structure and system forming this invention has been exform over the entire surface, and means has, at the same time, been provided for supercharging or adding to the efiiciency of the engine-cooling fan by delivering a portion of the air from the condenser directly to the engine-cooling fan.

It is tobe understood that applicants have shown and described only a preferred embodifrom said engine, and in-combination therewith,

an air circulation system comprising a fan struc-- ture mounted on the crank shaft of the engine between the engine and the condenser, said fan structure having circumferentially spaced axially extending blades for radially discharging air, means for conducting said air to the engine cylinder, said fan structure also being provided with radially outwardly extending fan blades for drawing air through the condenser and discharging it toward the engine, and said fan structure being provided with radially and inwardly extending blades positioned to draw air through the condenser and to deliver it to the circumferentially spaced blades.

3. In a refrigeration unit including an air cooled engine, a finned cylinder and a horizontal crank shaft, a compressor and a condenser,

I on the crank shaft between the engine and the ment of their improved cooling system for rev frigeration units, and that they claim as their invention all modifications falling withinv the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a refrigeration unit including an air cooled engine, a compressor, and a condenser,

said condenser being spaced from said engine,

and in combination therewith, an air circulation system comprising a fan connected to be driven by the engine and positioned between the engine and the condenser, said fan having circumferentially. spaced axially extending blades for radially discharging air, means for conducting said air to the engine, saidfan also being provided-with radially and outwardly extending fan'blades for drawing air through the con-' denser and discharging it toward the engine, and

said fan being provided with radially and incondenser, said fan having circumferentially spaced axially extending blades for radially dlscharging air, conduit means for conducting said air to the engine cylinder, said fan also being provided with radially and outwardly extending fan blades for drawing air through the con:- denser toward the engine, and said fan being provided with radially and inwardly extending blades positioned to draw air through the condenser and to deliver it to the circumferentially spaced blades.

PHILIP E. CARY. LLOYD F. OVERHOLT. CARL J. JOHNSON. WILLIAM F. BORGERD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,052,017 Doman Aug. 25, 1936 535,483 Capell Mar. 25, 1895 2,103,862 Melcher Leo. 28, 1937 1,991,194 Child Feb. 12, 1935 2,087,160 Meyerhoefer Feb. 12, 1935 2,262,695 Moeller Nov. 11, 1941 2,338,931 Gould Jan. 11, 1944 

